WND MONEY

Poll: Pessimism about economy rising

Only 1 in 4 expect own situation to improve over next year

Published: 04/19/2013 at 7:51 PM

(NBC NEWS) For the third year in a row, the nation’s economic recovery has hit a springtime soft spot. Reflecting that weakness, only 1 in 4 Americans now expects his or her own financial situation to improve over the next year, a new Associated Press-GfK poll shows.

The sour mood is undermining support for President Barack Obama’s economic stewardship and for government in general.

The poll shows that just 46 percent of Americans approve of Obama’s handling of the economy while 52 percent disapprove. That’s a negative turn from an even split last September — ahead of Obama’s November re-election victory — when 49 percent approved and 48 percent disapproved.